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steering wheel wobble

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Old 06-14-2004 | 08:37 PM
  #1  
ssxmac's Avatar
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From: west michigan
Car: 89 RS
Engine: lo3
Transmission: 700R4 w/ B&M shift improver
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt posi
steering wheel wobble

Not sure if this is where to post this but here we go.

My steering wheel wobbles. It pivits around the point where it enters the dash. the spot that it pivitos up and down when you adjust the height. It will go in all directions, not just up and down. The problem started about 2 weeks ago, got gradually worse, and now i cant turn the key backwards unless i prop up the wheel and sometimes i cant turn my brights on or off. What do i have to take apart to get at whatevers screwed up? anyone else every have a problem like this?

-chuck
Old 06-14-2004 | 09:12 PM
  #2  
2out_The_Left's Avatar
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From: The BayState-MA-
WOW i thought i was the only one. i did that on my GTA 4 years back. i ended up giving it to a guy to fix because i sold the car and was leaving for the corps and had no time to waste playing with it. it cost me 200 bucks for the fix though, he never did tell me what the hell caused it. by the time i got home, he relocated to another job and i never saw him again.

i'd go right to the dealer to get that fixed
Old 06-14-2004 | 09:58 PM
  #3  
deadbird's Avatar
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From: So.west IN
Car: 87 Formula/ 00 Xtreme
Engine: TPI 305/ v6
Transmission: struggling t-5/ 4l60E
Axle/Gears: 3.08/ 3.23
Common enough of a problem someone wrote a tech article about the tilt mechanisim falling apart.. https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...ngcolumn.shtml

My 84 was like that.. I took the 'easy' route and just replaced the column for $25 and about 2 hrs work (got a column with delay wipers since I didn't have them).
Old 06-14-2004 | 11:34 PM
  #4  
fordsfairlane's Avatar
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From: kentucky
Car: 86 trans am
Engine: 1971 , 350 4bbr
Transmission: 700r4
dont drive it broke.

i had the same problem, but mine broke completlywhile driving the car lucky in a wal mart lot. i replaced it with a junkyard part, without tilt.
Old 06-15-2004 | 03:49 PM
  #5  
wwnf's Avatar
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From: Indiana, PA
Car: 86 IROC
Engine: SC'ed 350
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 4.11 12bolt
I bought my IROC knowing that the tilt steering column needed fixed so I bought a steering wheel puller, lock plate tool, and made a pivot pin remover even though they go for 2.99 at harborfreight.com and fix it myself. I made sure I put the blue stuff on the 4 bolts, one at a time. I also lubbed everything up while I was in there.

The only problem that I had was the directions on this forum said to unscrew the tilt lever but mine is welded on so I sort of removed some platic from the lever before I noticed, =). I grin everytime I grab my tight steering wheel now. It was really bad before, like almost 3-4 inches in every direction.
Old 06-15-2004 | 05:18 PM
  #6  
spearson's Avatar
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From: Anoka, Mn
I just fixed mine this past weekend, and it was a PITA.
Old 06-15-2004 | 06:58 PM
  #7  
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From: LaGrange (10min from Poughkeepsie), NY
Car: 1992 Camaro RS - not real slow anymore...
Engine: SPDC 360 MAF EFI /w a Holley Stealth Ram
Transmission: T5 untill it blows up from to much torque
Axle/Gears: Ford 9" /w auburn pro & 3.89's
My steering wheel wobbles, but not from the tilt unit. Mine wobbles all teh way does the steering stem, any ideas?
Old 06-15-2004 | 08:00 PM
  #8  
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From: west michigan
Car: 89 RS
Engine: lo3
Transmission: 700R4 w/ B&M shift improver
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt posi
thanks for the help, im leaving for alaska in a few days so i wont be able to try it for another week and a half. I'll get back to you and let you know if it worked.

-chuck
Old 06-16-2004 | 03:07 PM
  #9  
KBeez's Avatar
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From: UT
Car: 88 Camaro S/C
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700-R4
My steering column wiggles right up front. Like it's fine from the part that tilts, but where the column actually "steers" and pivots is where it's loose I think. The steering wheel has play forward and backward, and left to right as well as up to down. Will the tech article help this, or is it just for the tilt pivot point?

I hope someone gets what I mean and can help

thanks a million for any help
Old 07-07-2004 | 10:53 PM
  #10  
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From: west michigan
Car: 89 RS
Engine: lo3
Transmission: 700R4 w/ B&M shift improver
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt posi
sorry to bring this thread up again, but i started pulling all this stuff apart and we got down to those two tilt steering pins. Well, the one on the passanger side came right out but we've been having problems with the other. First off all the pin remover broke when we tried to pull it out, after about 6 hours we've also busted 2 drill bits, and a tap in there. needless to say there is no useable thread left on the inside of that pin. And the damn things are made out of some kind of hardened steel, we cant even scratch em, we tried the dent puller, but cant get a sheet metal screw to stay in there. Any ideas on how to get this out?

-chuck
Old 07-08-2004 | 09:17 AM
  #11  
Mr_Metal's Avatar
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 220
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From: Cleveland, OH
Car: '89 Camaro RS
Engine: LB8 V6 MFI
Transmission: T-5 5-speed
Axle/Gears: 3.42:1
Originally posted by ssxmac
sorry to bring this thread up again, but i started pulling all this stuff apart and we got down to those two tilt steering pins. Well, the one on the passanger side came right out but we've been having problems with the other. First off all the pin remover broke when we tried to pull it out, after about 6 hours we've also busted 2 drill bits, and a tap in there. needless to say there is no useable thread left on the inside of that pin. And the damn things are made out of some kind of hardened steel, we cant even scratch em, we tried the dent puller, but cant get a sheet metal screw to stay in there. Any ideas on how to get this out?

-chuck

3 words... Junkyard steering column !
It's time for a steering column swap at this point, no biggie.
Old 07-08-2004 | 03:27 PM
  #12  
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dr1
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From: Connecticut
Car: '89 Firebird Formula
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: T5
Originally posted by KBeez
My steering column wiggles right up front. Like it's fine from the part that tilts, but where the column actually "steers" and pivots is where it's loose I think. The steering wheel has play forward and backward, and left to right as well as up to down. Will the tech article help this, or is it just for the tilt pivot point?

I hope someone gets what I mean and can help

thanks a million for any help
mine did that as well, i took my grant wheel off, 5 hex screws so mine was easy, right behind that there was the culprit, the center bolt was loose, i just tightened that up and its good again
Old 07-08-2004 | 04:45 PM
  #13  
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From: Orangevale, CA
Car: 07 Silverado
Engine: 5.3L V8, flexfuel E85
Transmission: 4spd. Auto
Axle/Gears: 3.73 locking diff.
My steering column was loose where the 4 hex type bolts go into the tilt part of the column. I had to take apart the complete column down to the 4 bolts. Then I took the bolts out and put a bunch of lock tite on them and reinstalled them, and I tightend the hell out of them too. Did this about a month ago, works great so far. Took about an hour or so for the whole job, had my brother do the job though, he works for a chevy dealership, it was easy for him. Anyway, make sure and use the lock tite or else they can come loose again in time. Use the lock tite and he says you should be good to go forever. Also, make sure when you get in and out of the car you don't grab the steering wheel to help you in and out. This is what causes most of the problems with our columns.
Old 07-09-2004 | 12:09 AM
  #14  
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From: UT
Car: 88 Camaro S/C
Engine: 350
Transmission: 700-R4
Originally posted by dr1
mine did that as well, i took my grant wheel off, 5 hex screws so mine was easy, right behind that there was the culprit, the center bolt was loose, i just tightened that up and its good again
This doesn't seem to be the problem with mine But really really thanks for the feedback.
Any other solutions? Anybody?
Old 07-11-2004 | 09:50 AM
  #15  
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From: MA, USA
Car: 83 bird
Engine: 305/383
Transmission: WC T5
Axle/Gears: 3:42
Re: steering wheel wobble

Originally posted by ssxmac
Not sure if this is where to post this but here we go.

My steering wheel wobbles. It pivits around the point where it enters the dash. the spot that it pivitos up and down when you adjust the height. It will go in all directions, not just up and down. The problem started about 2 weeks ago, got gradually worse, and now i cant turn the key backwards unless i prop up the wheel and sometimes i cant turn my brights on or off. What do i have to take apart to get at whatevers screwed up? anyone else every have a problem like this?

-chuck
I have the EXACT problem! Brights won't turn on unless I wiggle it, and I don't even need keys to start my car! lol

I'm just getting a different column from the parts yard for $40. I looked at the tech article and said... it's worth the $40 to me to just get another!
Old 07-12-2004 | 07:01 PM
  #16  
ssxmac's Avatar
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From: west michigan
Car: 89 RS
Engine: lo3
Transmission: 700R4 w/ B&M shift improver
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt posi
I dont know where this part goes, can anyone help?

-chuck
Attached Thumbnails steering wheel wobble-unknown-part.jpg  
Old 07-12-2004 | 11:27 PM
  #17  
ssxmac's Avatar
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 669
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From: west michigan
Car: 89 RS
Engine: lo3
Transmission: 700R4 w/ B&M shift improver
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt posi
bump
Old 07-13-2004 | 03:45 AM
  #18  
TMX's Avatar
TMX
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From: Raleigh, NC
Car: 84 & 92 Z28s
Engine: 305 carb & 305 TPI
Transmission: T-5
Originally posted by ssxmac
I dont know where this part goes, can anyone help?
It's the clip that holds your key buzzer switch in place. You have do dig down all the way to the lock cylinder to get to it.

-B
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